ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig welcomes Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Westermayr as its first associated member. After a public lecture on “Machine Learning for Photochemical Reaction Discovery and Targeted Molecular Design” on February 01, 2023, the board members of the AI Competence Center unanimously confirmed the decision.

“I am very excited to be part of ScaDS.AI and bring my research on the design of new materials and light-induced reactions. I am confident that this connection will lead to innovative solutions for global challenges in chemistry and I am especially pleased to make a significant contribution to promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM fields with ScaDS.AI.” – Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Westermayr

After studying chemistry, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Westermayr received her PhD from the University of Vienna in September 2020 with a thesis on “Machine Learning for Excited-State Molecular Dynamics Simulations.” Since October 2022, Dr. Julia Westermayr occupies the Junior Professorship for Artificial Intelligence in Theoretical Chemistry at Leipzig University. Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Westermayr will support the research of the ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig on artificial intelligence in the focus area Physics and Chemistry as an associate member for three years.

“We are very pleased that with Dr. Westermayr we were able to gain an already very successful and visible scientist as an associated member, who will strengthen us in the important application field of AI in chemistry. It is also gratifying that our association program launched in 2023 immediately attracts interest, which speaks for the attractiveness of ScaDS.AI for collaborations.” – Prof. Dr. Erhard Rahm

Associated member of ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig awards the title of associate member to selected PhD scientists and professors with a close connection to the research focus of the center. The prerequisite is an international research activity, a high interest in cooperation as well as the willingness to contribute own research work to ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig. ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig supports its associated members in networking as well as in the development of joint projects. The status also allows participation in internal general meetings, lectures and conferences.

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig, the Center for Scalable Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence, is one of five national competence centers for Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are being funded under the federal government‘s AI strategy and established as permanent research facilities for AI, Data Science and Big Data. With its two locations in Leipzig and Dresden, the competence center ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig combines the excellent AI and Data Science expertise of Leipzig University, the Technische Universität Dresden and ten research institutions.

ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig thus expands the national competence center for Big Data – ScaDS Dresden/Leipzig – founded in 2014. At the University of Leipzig as well as the Technische Universität Dresden, up to 12 AI professorships as well as an additional Humboldt Professorship will be established in order to increase research excellence and to place applied AI research on a broad foundation. The competence center thus plays a unique and central role in the implementation of the AI strategy, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).